Sports

President Pratibha Patil presenting the Dronacharya Award-2010 to Captain Chandrup for Wrestling, in a glittering ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhawan, in New Delhi on August 29, 2010.

President Pratibha Patil conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna for 2010, the country's highest award in sports, on badminton star Saina Nehwal as well as the Arjuna Awards on 14 other sportsmen at a glittering ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan here today

Nehwal, the Hyderabad-based world number two, could not receive the award in person because she has not returned from Paris, where she lost in the quarter-finals of the World Championships last week. The award consists of a medal, a citation and a cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh.

The Arjuna Awards for 2010 were received by Joseph Abraham (Athletics), Krishna Poonia (Athletics), Dinesh Kumar (Boxing), Parimrajan Negi (Chess), Jhulan Goswami (Cricket-Women), Deepak Kumar Mandal (Football), Sandeep Singh (Hockey-Men), Dinesh Kumar (Kabaddi), Sanjeev Rajput (Shooting), Rehan Jehangir Poncha (Swimming), Kapil Dev K.J. (Volleyball), Rajeev Tomar (Wrestling), Rajesh Chaudhary (Yachting) and Jagseer Singh (Paralympic Athletics).

Ms Jasjeet Kaur Handa (Hockey-Women) also an Arjun Awardee, could not attend the ceremony as she is currently abroad participating in an international tournament. The Award carries a statuette, citation and an enhanced cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each.

Satish Pillai (Athletics), Kuldeep Singh (Wrestling) and Anita Chanu (Weightlifting) were conferred Dhyan Chand Awards for the year 2010, for their contribution to sports by their performance and efforts to promote the sports. The award carries a statuette, citation and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each.

The President also gave away Dronacharya Awards for the this year to A.K. Kutty (Athletics), Subhash B. Aggarwal (Billiards & Snooker), L. Ibomcha Singh (Boxing), Ajay Kumar Bansal (Hockey) and Captain Chandrup (Wrestling) in recognition of their meritorious achievements in the field of coaching. The award carries a statuette, citation and enhanced cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each.

The Services Sports Control Board was given the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar Award for the year 2010, under the category of Community Sports Identification and Nurturing of Budding Young Talent. Defence Minister A.K. Antony received this award.

The Khel Evam Yuva Kalyan Vibhag, Government of Madhya Pradesh also received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar for Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence. The Chief Minister of the State, Mr Shivraj Singh Chauhan, received this award.

The Award was also conferred upon the Services Sports Control Board for Employment of sportsperson and sports welfare measures. The same Award was also conferred upon Tata Steel Limited for Financial Support for Sports Excellence. The Award carries a trophy and citation.

As a result of switchover to current year format, two universities have been selected for Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy (MAKA). For the year 2008-09 , Punjabi University, Patiala has been awarded Trophy while Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar has been awarded for the year 2009-10. Both the universities received a cash prize of Rs.10 lakh each and Rolling Trophy along with a small replica of the MAKA Trophy for retention by the Universities. While Punjabi University will keep the trophy for the first six months, Guru Nanak Dev University will keep the trophy for next six months.

The President also conferred Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards for the year 2009 to recognize the contribution and performance of the awardees in the field of adventure sports. Ms. Chandraprabha Aitwal was given Life Time Achievement Award. Kamlesh Kumar Bounthiyal received the award for Land Adventure, Wg. Com. Jai Kishan for Air Adventure and Sufyan Sheikh for Water Adventure. The award carries cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and bronze statuette along with a citation.

Among others, Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports M S Gill, Minister for Tribal Affairs Kanti Lal Bhuria and Minister for New & Renewable Energy Resources Farooq Abdullah attended the ceremony.

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to see the preparations for the Commonwealth Games 2010, in New Delhi on August 29, 2010. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, M.S. Gill and the Chairman of Organising Committee, Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Suresh Kalmadi are also seen.

With just 35 days to go for the XIX Commonwealth Games, which Delhi is slated to host from October 3-14, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex here this morning.

Dr Singh said it was a beautiful stadium and urged all authorities concerned to redouble their efforts to quickly complete whatever works remained as the people were expecting a spectacular and flawless opening to the Commonwealth Games.

The Prime Minister's visit to the stadium came amid growing concern over the delays in the completion of various Games-related projects in the capital and also over allegations of corruption in the organisation of the prestigious event.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games.

Dr Singh was taken around the various facilities in the completely renovated complex, including playing fields, media facilites, the royal box, stands for spectators, security and other arrangements.

The Prime Minister was accompanied on the visit by Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports M S Gill and Mr Suresh Kalmadi, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.

On August 19, the Government had deputed 11 senior officers to various assignments related to the mega event that is being held in the country for the first time.

The officers have been deputed on part-time basis to oversee the preparations at the major Commonwealth Games venues, to solve coordination problems and bring to the notice of the Secretary, Department of Sport and the Cabinet Secretary issues that require their intervention.

The Cabinet Secretariat had said that the officers would ensure completion of various assignments in Games venues allocated to them as per the prescribed time lines and furnish progress reports to the Secretary, Department of Sports and Cabinet Secretary on a day-to-day basis.

It said the officers had been empowered to take decision on the spot in order to tie up any loose end or resolve any conflict between different agencies and organisations during preparation for the Games.

The officers are: Mr Subodh Kumar, Additional Secretary, Department of Telecommunication, Mr S R. Rao, Additional Secretary, Department of Information Techonolgy, Mr R.C. Mishra, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Mr Amarjeet Singh, Executive Director, Janasankhya Sthirata Kosh, Ministry of Health, Mr J.S. Deepak, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Mr Rohit Nandan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Mr Shashi Shekar, OSD, Power Trading Corporation Ltd., Dr. Taradatt, Joint Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Mr Gopal Krishna, Secretary, Sports Authority of India, Mr Rajeev Kapoor, Joint Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training and Mr Injeti Srinivas, Joint Secretary Ministry of Sports.

The decision to depute the senior officers to supervise the preparations came five days after the Prime Minister held a high-level meeting to review the preparations for the Games.

Dr Singh had, at that time, directed the concerned Ministries to conduct thorough investigations into all the complaints of procedural and other irregularities in the organisation of the Games and said that all those found should face severe and exemplary puishment.

The alleged scams had figured prominently earlier this month in both Houses of Parliament and had occupied a lot of space in the media as the Opposition and many others sought the resignation of Mr Kalmadi.

At the August 14 meeting, Dr Singh had observed that there had been slippages in the time schedules of some of the construction works and deficiencies had also been observed in some of the works. He said that, in the run up to the Games, it was important to gain public confidence by instilling order and carrying out effective supervision of the preparation works.

Dr Singh had directed the Ministries concerned, the Delhi Government and the Organizing Committee to complete all pending works expeditiously through time-bound action plans and carry out a quality audit of the completed facilities. All the facilities must meet international standards, he stressed.

He had directed the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up for the Games, headed by Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy, to meet immediately and frequently thereafter. The GoM was empowered to take all decisions necessary for the smooth conduct of the Games. The GoM will refer any matter that may require further consideration to the Finance Minister for a final decision.

That meeting directed the Cabinet Secretary to liaise closely with the GoM to ensure effective coordination among all the concerned authorities.

In a significant move, that meeting also decided that the Committee of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary would continue to review implementation and it would have the status of an Empowered Committee. It will have jurisdiction over matters relating to the Organising Committee and a Secretary-level officer of the Cabinet Secretariat will liaise with the Organising Committee on a daily basis, the meeting had decided.

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As the preparations for the XIX Commonwealth Games, that Delhi will host from October 3-14, enter the last lap, the Government today deputed 11 senior officers to various assignments related to the mega event that is being held in the country for the first time.

The officers are currently in Delhi and working in various Ministries/Departments, an official press release said.

The officers would be deputed on part-time basis to oversee the preparations at the major Commonwealth Games venues, to solve coordination problems and bring to the notice of the Secretary, Department of Sport and the Cabinet Secretary issues that require their intervention.

The release from the Cabinet Secretariat said the officers would ensure completion of various assignments in Games venues allocated to them as per the prescribed time lines and furnish progress reports to the Secretary, Department of Sports and Cabinet Secretary on a day-to-day basis.

It said the officers had been empowered to take decision on the spot in order to tie up any loose end or resolve any conflict between different agencies and organisations during preparation for the Games.

"However, they may discuss with Secretary, Sports, while taking such decisions, where such decisions have any financial implications. Decisions taken by these officers would have to be complied with by the executing agencies at the venue level," the release said.

The officers are: Mr Subodh Kumar, Additional Secretary, Department of Telecommunication, Mr S R. Rao, Additional Secretary, Department of Information Techonolgy, Mr R.C. Mishra, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Mr Amarjeet Singh, Executive Director, Janasankhya Sthirata Kosh, Ministry of Health, Mr J.S. Deepak, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Mr Rohit Nandan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Mr Shashi Shekar, OSD, Power Trading Corporation Ltd., Dr. Taradatt, Joint Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Mr Gopal Krishna, Secretary, Sports Authority of India, Mr Rajeev Kapoor, Joint Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training and Mr Injeti Srinivas, Joint Secretary Ministry of Sports.

According to the release, Mr Srinivas will look after issues of accreditation and Mr Kapoor will look after the Games Village in addition to Mr Deepak.

"The officers will be released from their additional responsibilities by 15th September, 2010 or on completion of assignments," the release added.

The decision to depute the senior officers to supervise the preparations came five days after Prime Ministeer held a high-level to review the preparations for the Games amid growing complaints of corruption in the organisation of the event and controversies about the delay in completition of many Games-related projects.

Dr Singh directed the concerned Ministries to conduct thorough investigations into all the complaints of procedural and other irregularities in the organisation of the Games and said that all those found should face severe and exemplary puishment.

The alleged scams had figured prominently in recent days in both Houses of Parliament and had occupied a lot of space in the media as the Opposition and many others sought the resignation of Mr Suresh Kalmadi, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Games.

Today's announcement about the deputation of officers was interpreted by some as a move to clip the wings of Mr Kalmadi, but he denied it.

At the August 14 meeting, Dr Singh had observed that there had been slippages in the time schedules of some of the construction works and deficiencies had also been observed in some of the works. He said that, in the run up to the Games, it was important to gain public confidence by instilling order and carrying out effective supervision of the preparation works.

Dr Singh directed the Ministries concerned, the Delhi Government and the Organizing Committee to complete all pending works expeditiously through time-bound action plans and carry out a quality audit of the completed facilities. All the facilities must meet international standards, he stressed.

He directed the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up for the Games, headed by Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy, to meet immediately and frequently thereafter. The GoM was empowered to take all decisions necessary for the smooth conduct of the Games. The GoM will refer any matter that may require further consideration to the Finance Minister for a final decision.

That meeting directed the Cabinet Secretary to liaise closely with the GoM to ensure effective coordination among all the concerned authorities.

In a significant move, the meeting also decided that the Committee of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary would continue to review implementation and it would have the status of an Empowered Committee. It will have jurisdiction over matters relating to the Organising Committee and a Secretary-level officer of the Cabinet Secretariat will liaise with the Organising Committee on a daily basis, the meeting decided.

The Prime Minister has decided to visit selected venues of the Commonwealth Games in the last week of August.

Significantly, today's announcement came hours after Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that the Government should look into the allegations of malpractices in the organisation of the Games as soon as they are over and spare no one found guilty.

"The Commonwealth Games are just a few days away. This is the time for all of us to come together and ensure their success," Ms Gandhi said in her address to the General Body Meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) here today.

She said the success of the Games was that of the country—not of any party or of any individual.

"The Prime Minister has himself intervened decisively. The prestige of the nation is involved. Let us not forget this even as we take steps to ensure accountability. I trust that as soon as the Games are over the government will look into the allegations of malpractice and spare no one found to be involved in them," she added.

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Commonwealth Games logo

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today directed the concerned Ministries to conduct thorough investigations into all the complaints of procedural and other irregularities in the organisation of the XIX Commonwealth Games, which Delhi is slated to host from October 3-14.

Intervening directly in the controversies that had erupted in the run-up to the Games, Dr Singh told a high-level meeting convened by him to review the preparations for the mega event that all those found guilty should face severe and exemplary puishment.

The meeting was held against the background of the several allegations made in various quarters in recent days about corruption in the organisation of the Games, particularly with regard to payments made to certain foreign companies, and also controversies surrounding the delay in completion of many Games-related projects.

The alleged scams had figured prominently in recent days in both Houses of Parliament and had occupied a lot of space in the media as the Opposition and many others sought the resignation of Mr Suresh Kalmadi, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Games.

Today's meeting was attended by, among others, Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister M S Gill, Delhi Lt. Governor Tejendra Khanna, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Mr T K A Nair, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar and Mr Kalmadi.

The Prime Minister was briefed by the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Urban Development, the Government of Delhi and the Organising Committee on the progress of Commonwealth Games preparatory works assigned to them.

He observed that there had been slippages in the time schedules of some of the construction works and deficiencies had also been observed in some of the works. He said that, in the run up to the Games, it was important to gain public confidence by instilling order and carrying out effective supervision of the preparation works.

Dr Singh directed the Ministries concerned, the Delhi Government and the Organizing Committee to complete all pending works expeditiously through time-bound action plans and carry out a quality audit of the completed facilities. All the facilities must meet international standards, he stressed.

He directed the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up for the Games, headed by Mr Reddy, to meet immediately and frequently thereafter.

An official press release said the Group was empowered to take all decisions necessary for the smooth conduct of the Games. The GoM will refer any matter that may require further consideration to the Finance Minister for a final decision, it said.

According to it, the Cabinet Secretary was directed to liaise closely with the GoM to ensure effective coordination among all the concerned authorities.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chairing the meeting on Commonwealth Games, in New Delhi on August 14, 2010. Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. M.S. Gill, the Union Minister for Urban Development, Jaipal Reddy, the Lt. Governor of Delhi, Tejinder Khanna and the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit are also seen.

In a significant move, the meeting decided that the Committee of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary would continue to review implementation and it would have the status of an Empowered Committee. It will have jurisdiction over matters relating to the Organising Committee and a Secretary-level officer of the Cabinet Secretariat will liaise with the Organising Committee on a daily basis, the release said.

The Prime Minister directed the Organizing Committee to take appropriate steps urgently to conclude all pending preparations.

The Senior Management Committee of the Organising Committee would meet daily and be chaired by the CEO in the absence of the Chairman or Vice-Chairman, Organising Committee. Additional senior and experienced officers from the Government of India would be deputed as required, the release said.

The Cabinet will be briefed on the state of preparations on a weekly basis, it said.

"The public has a right to know the facts and the Group of Ministers will ensure that timely and authentic information on the state of preparations and in particular on the remaining tasks at hand is released to the public. The promotional campaign of the various events should be stepped up to generate enthusiasm among sports lovers in the largest sporting event the country has held in many years," it said.

The Prime Minister has decided to visit selected venues of the Commonwealth Games in the last week of August.

Dr Singh said that the eyes of the world were on the country as it conducted this prestigious event.

"The Commonwealth Games was an occasion not only to celebrate sporting excellence but also the spirit of kinship and camaraderie among the Commonwealth fraternity. India will have an opportunity to present its culture, its achievements, its warm hospitality and its organizational capabilities to the world," he said.

Dr Singh emphasised that it was very important that as a country, the people should work together to give its honoured guests a warm welcome and a memorable experience of all that the nation had to offer.

"Our athletes and sportsmen are training hard and need the full support and encouragement of their fellow Indians," he said.

He urged all concerned to work single-mindedly so that the Games could be held in a manner the nation could be justifiably proud of.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the ongoing preparations supervised directly by the Group of Ministers would enable the Games to be conducted smoothly and in a befitting manner, the release added.

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The Government today denied a television news report which suggested that equipment worth crores of rupees had been purchased for a Sports Injury Centre in Delhi which had not been built and asserted that the facility would be ready by August 31.

The Centre was planned as part of the preparations for the XIX Commonwealth Games that Delhi is slated to host from October 3-14.

"This news report is baseless. The factual position is that the Sports Injury Centre at Safdarjung Hospital is at advanced stage of construction and is expected to be completed by August 31, 2010," a statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

It said the total allocatin for the centre was Rs 70.72 crore, which was being met from the normal Plan allocation of the Ministry.

The statement said the budget allocation included cost of a seven-storeyed building with two basements, sophisticated and modern equipment, office and hospital furniture, salaries for the staff, project management fee and maintenance for the first two years.

The statement said the public sector Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation (India) Limited had been nominated as the implementing agency for the project. Bhayana Builders had been awarded the contract for construction of the building with an estimate cost of Rs 32.50 crore.

According to the statement, the centre will have an in-patient capacity of 35 beds in two wards which contain four-bedded/three-bedded/two-bedded and single rooms. The centre will have three modular operation theatres with pre-operative/post-operative facilities and a two-bedded intensive care unit (ICU) in post-operative room.

It said certain high-end equipment like MRI CT Scan, bone densitometry, digital X-ray and Colour Doppler and laboratory services had been outsourced on revenue-sharing basis under the public-private partnership mode. Consequently, there would be less upfront expenditure by the Government on equipment.

The statement said equipment worth approximately Rs 17 crore had been listed to be procured for the centre, out of which equipment worth Rs 6 crore had already been procured and the remaining were in advanced stages of procurement. After installation and testing of these equipment, it is planned that these will be functional by September 15, it said.

When fully functional, it will be the largest medical outfit in South-East Asia catering to the specific needs of sportspeople.

The statement said that the establishment of a modern Sports Injury Centre was a long-felt need of the country that had become imminent in view of the Commonwealth Games.

The centre will take care of about 2500 cases petaining to arthroscopic or specialised procedures every year.

"It is reiterated once again that whatever equipment that has been purchased has been done after proper planning and for ensuring that the centre becomes operational in September 2010," the release added.

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The Government today said it proposed to deploy Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) to provide security during the Commonwealth Games that will be held in Delhi from October 3-14.

Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken told the Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question that, in addition to the manpower available with Delhi Police, about 175 companies of CPMFs would be provided to Delhi in a phased manner from September for security of the Games.

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today congratulated Indian woman shooter Tejaswini Sawant who has become the first woman shooter to win a gold at the World Shooting Championship with a world-record equalling score in the 50m rifle prone event in Munich on Sunday.

In his message, Dr Singh said that her outstanding performance had brought laurels to the nation and her acheivement would inspire other youngsters to do their best for the country.

The 29-year-old Sawant, who belongs to Kolhapur in Maharashtra, notched up a score of 597/600 in the event, equalling in the process the record set by Russia's Marinia Bobkova in 1998. She had won two gold medals in Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006.

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The medals for the XIX Commonwealth Games, which Delhi will host from October 3-14, being unveiled by Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and Secretary-General Lalit Bhanot in the capital on August 6, 2010.

The medals for the XIX Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi from October 3-14, were unveiled here today by Organising Committee (OC) Chairman Suresh Kalmadi who hoped that most of them would be won by the hosts themselves.

"Indian athletes won 50 medals in the 2006 Games. We hope 70 of these wonderful medals will be won by Indian athletes. India finished fourth in the medal tally at Melbourne. We’re hopeful of moving to the third place this time," Mr Kalmadi said at a press conference here this evening.

He said his confidence stemmed from the fact that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had provided as much as Rs 700 crore for the training of Indian athletes for the mega event that will be held in India for the first time.

The medal has a simple design, with its dominant form being a rising upward spiral, representing the rise from struggle to glory for each athlete.

The front of the medal has the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi logo and dates. The reverse side has the emblem of the Commonwealth Games Federation.

The medal is 6 mm thick with a diameter of 63.5 mm. The signature element’s starting fin is raised by 1 mm and it rises up to 3 mm on the last fin. The embossed logo and date is raised by 1mm.

The lanyard of the medal carries all six Games colors (pink, purple, green, red, yellow and blue) blending into each other. It is created with Delhi 2010 brand and design elements.

The medal case is clean and simple with black background enhancing the logo embossed on top in Gold, Silver or Bronze - matching the medal inside.

Mr Kalmadi said the OC had ordered 1408 medals in all, including multiple medals for team events.

The cost of producing each gold medal is Rs 5,539, while every silver medal costs Rs 4,818 and a bronze medal Rs 4,529. The total cost of producing all the medals is Rs 81,08,566 including the price of the boxes and lanyards, he said.

Considering the various constraints in medal manufacture, Tombac Bronze (92% copper, 6% zinc and 2% nickel) was selected as base metal. This metal has the ability to flow under compressive force and allow formation of sharp and firm features in design.

The India Government Mint, Kolkata, was entrusted with the design, development and manufacture of the medals. The Image & Look department of the CWG Delhi 2010 had created four design options from which the final design for selected.

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Photo courtesy : Commonwealth Games 2010 website.

Grappling with a series of corruption allegations, the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games today placed under suspension two of its senior officials and cancelled a controversial deal with an Australian sports management firm.

Also today, the Treasurer of the OC, Mr Anil Khanna, quit his post today after media reports which said that the contract for laying the synthetic surfaces at the R K Khanna Tennis Stadium, one of the Games venues, was awarded to a company whose Indian branch is headed by his son.

Mr Ashok Matoo, who had resigned as Treasurer of the OC some months ago, was appointed to the post again, with less than two months to go for the Games that Delhi is slated to host from October 3-14.

The two OC officials suspended today were its Joint Director General T S Darbari and M Jayachandran, Joint Director General (Finance & Accounts).

Their role as well as that of Mr Sanjay Mohindroo, a Deputy Director General who had quit the OC some months ago, will now be probed by the Enforcement Directorate, to whom the entire matter regarding the launch of the Queen's Baton Relay in London on October 29 has now referred.

Mr Lalit Bhanot, Secretary General of the OC, told a press conference that the decision to remove the officials was taken at a meeting of its Executive Board here earlier in the day.

The meeting was called by Mr Kalmadi following a series of media reports alleging corruption in the organisation of the Games, which Delhi is scheduled to host from October 3-14.

At the centre of the allegations against the OC is a payment of about 2,50,000 pounds made by it to A.M. Films, a United Kingdom-based company, for services rendered by it during the Queen's Baton Relay in London on October 29, 2009.

The company is being probed by authorities in the UK for inadequate paperwork related to the payment, for which it had claimed a VAT refund. As a series of media reports raised suspicion about corruption in the deal, Mr Kalmadi had said that the firm had been recommended to it by the Indian High Commission in London.

At a press conference here some days ago, Mr Kalmadi had also produced e-mails from an employee of the mission to substantiate his claim.

Two days ago, Mr Kalmadi met External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, who apparently told him that the e-mail produced by him was not genuine and was probably doctored.

This forced Mr Kalmadi to order an inquiry into these and other allegations by a high-level committee of OC officials and today's action against the officials was made after the inquiry committee submitted an interim report.

The Indian mission in London had denied that it had recommended the company to the OC and that the e-mail produced by Mr Kalmadi was from a person who was very junior and was not authorised to make such recommendations.

The inquiry committee, among other things, looked into the payment to AM Films for hire of cars, portable toilets, video cameras, video screens and other facilities as well as the High Commission's contention that the letter purportedly sent by its employee was not genuine.

The deal with the Sports Marketing and Management (SMAM) of Melbourne, which was to bring in sponsors for the event, was terminated on the ground that it had failed to fulfil its commitments.

The arrangement with the company had raised eyebrows after media reports said that it would be getting a huge commission on sponsorship amounts being given to the OC by leading public sector units and Government organisations.

Mr Bhanot said the OC had been reviewing the contract with SMAM for some weeks and had decided to terminate it today, after giving them due notice, after receiving legal opinion in favour of such a move.

He also made it clear that no a single rupee had been paid to the firm so far by the OC,

On the decision to act against Mr Darbari and Mr Mohindroo, Mr Bhanot said they were responsible for the delivery and conduct of the launch of the Queen's Baton Relay in London on October 29, an event at which Queen Elizabeth II and President Pratibha Patil were present.

He said the suspension would remain in force until the inquiries against them were completed. He said the officials would be given a chance to explain their position. In the case of Mr Jayachandran, who was not heard before today's decision, the OC has called him to explain his position tomorrow, after which a view would be taken.

Mr Khanna, who resigned as Treasurer, told mediapersons that he was not involved in any way with the award of the contract and was not, in fact, holding the post when the deal was finalised.

He also said that his son's company, Rebound Ace India, had no connection with Rebound Ace Australia, which had won the contract to lay the surfaces at the venue for the tennis event.

He said Rebound Ace India was just a distributor of Reliance Ace Australia and not a subsidiary. He said the Australian firm had no stake in his son's firm. Moreover, the Indian firm had not received any money for the deal and there was, therefore, no question of any impropriety, he said.

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File photo of Saina Nehwal receiving the Arjuna Award 2009 from President Pratibha Patil.

Badminton star Saina Nehwal, currently ranked number two in the world, was today chosen by the Government for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for 2010, the nation's highest national award in sports.

As many as 15 sportspersons were named for the prestigious Arjuna Awards for their achievements in their chosen sport and three for the Dhyan Chand Awards for their lifetime contribution to sports.

Five coaches were named for the Dronacharya Awards and four organisations for the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar, given for the promotion of sports.

The awards were decided by two panels of eminent sportspersons and sports administrators; one headed by athlete P T Usha for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna and Dhyan Chand Awards and the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar and the other by former hockey star Ashok Kumar for the Dronacharya Awards.

Those chosen for the Arjuna Award for 2010 are Joseph Abraham, Krishna Poonia (athletics), Dinesh Kumar (boxing), Parimrajan Negi (chess), Julan Goswami (cricket-women), Deepak Kumar Mandal (football), Sandeep Singh (hockey-men), Jasjeet Kaur Handa (hockey-women), Dinesh Kumar (kabaddi), Sanjeev Rajput (shooting), Rehan Jahangir Poncha (swimming), Kapil Dev K J (volleyball), Rajeev Tomar (wrestling), Rajesh Chaudhary (yachting) and Jagseer Singh (paralympic athletics).

The Dhyan Chand Awards for 2010 go to Satish Pillai (athletics), Kuldeep Singh (wrestling) and Anita Chanu (weightlifting).

A K Kutty (athletics), Subhash Aggarwal (billiards & snooker), L Ibomcha Singh (boxing), Ajay Kumar Bansal (hockey) and Captain Chandrup (wrestling) are the coaches chosen for the Dronacharya Awards for 2010. Of them, Kutty and Chandrup get the award for their lifetime contribution in coaching, an official press release said.

The Rashtriya Khel Protsahana Puruskar 2010 will be given to the Services Sports Control Board (community sports identification and nurturing of budding and young talent), Tata Steel Limitd (financial support for sports excellence), Khel Evam Yuva Vibhag, Government of Madhya Pradesh (establishment and management of sports academies of excellence) and Services Sports Control Board again for employment of sportspersons and sports welfare measures.

The National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports.

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is given for spectacular performance in the year under consideration; Arjuna Award for consistently outstanding performance for three consecutive years preceding the year of award; Dhyan Chand Award for life time contribution to sports development; and Dronacharya Award for producing medal winners at prestigious international sports events in past three years.

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is given to only one sportsperson in a year. Arjuna Award is given to not more than 15, Dhyan Chand Award to not more than 3 and Dronacharya Award to not more than 5 persons.

Apart from a medal and a citation, the winner of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna will receive a cash prize of Rs.7.5 lakh. Arjuna, Dhyan Chand and Dronacharya Awardees will receive statuettes, citations and cash prize of Rs.5 lakh each. The recipients of Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar will receive trophies and citation.

The awardees will receive their awards from the President at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 29.

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File photo of President of Indian Olympic Association Suresh Kalmadi.

Mr Suresh Kalmadi, the beleaguered Chairman of the Organising Committee (OC) of the XIX Commonwealth Games that Delhi is slated to host from October 3-14 who is battling a series of corruption allegations, today said he was prepared to face any kind of inquiry into the charges.

"I, as Chairman of the Organising Committee, am prepared to face any scrutiny by CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) or even a judicial probe for all financial transactions being reported by the media. And all those found guilty will be brought to book," he said in a statement issued here.

He said 60 days were left for the start of the Games and 43 days for the Games Village to open, when about 8000 athletes and officials from all over the world would start arriving to participate in the Games.

Mr Kalmadi said he had taken serious note of the media reports in recent days regarding alleged irregularities in the payments made by the OC for services provided to it by a firm in London for the launch function of the Queen's Baton Relay, for overlays and for the payments made to a sports marketing firm in Melbourne.

He said he had already appointed a three-member committee to to look into the details of all these allegations and asked it to submit its report by tomorrow.

Mr Kalmadi said the financial procedures at OC were well-laid down and transparent. "Any proposal that is prepared by the Functional Area Head first gets vetted by the OC Finance Committee which has two representatives of Government of India, and after that it is referred to Finance Sub-Committee, comprising three senior representatives of Government of India. Thereafter, the proposals are submitted to the Executive Board for its final approval. Chairman OC, in his individual capacity does not have any financial powers," he explained.

Separately, the OC today described as exaggerated media reports about procurement of items such as treadmills, umbrellas and tissue paper. They also said no payment had been made so far to the Australian firm for bring in sponsors for the Games.

At a press conference, OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot gave details about the expenditure on overlays and denied all allegations of inflated quotations and payments. He said there were several government officials on the committees that vetted and cleared all the proposals.

At the centre of the allegations against the OC is a payment of about 2,50,000 pounds made by it to A.M. Films, a United Kingdom-based company, for services rendered by it during the Queen's Baton Relay in London on October 29, 2009.

The company is being probed by authorities in the UK for inadequate paperwork related to the payment, for which it had claimed a VAT refund. As a series of media reports raised suspicion about corruption in the deal, Mr Kalmadi had said that the firm had been recommended to it by the Indian High Commission in London.

At a press conference here some days ago, Mr Kalmadi had also produced e-mails from an employee of the mission to substantiate his case.

Today, Mr Kalmadi met External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, who apparently told him that the e-mail produced by him was not genuine and was probably doctored. This is what forced Mr Kalmadi to order the inquiry.

The Indian mission in London had denied that it had recommended the company to the OC and that the e-mail produced by Mr Kalmadi was from a person who was very junior and was not authorised to make such recommendations.

The committee appointed by Mr Kalmadi will look into the payment to AM Films for hire of cars, portable toilets, video cameras, video screens and other facilities as well as the High Commission's contention that the letter sent by its employee was not genuine.

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President Pratibha Patil arriving with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for the XIX Commonwealth Games Launch of the Queen’s Baton Relay, in London on October 29, 2009. Sports Minister M S Gill, Commonwealth Games Federation Mike Fennell and Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi are also seen.

As charges of wrongdoing continued to fly, the Chairman of the Organising Committee (OC) of the Commonwealth Games, Mr Suresh Kalmadi, today appointed a three-member committee to inquire into the allegations of corruption in the organisation of the event that Delhi is slated to host from October 3-14.

At the centre of the allegations is a payment of about 2,50,000 pounds made by the OC to A.M. Films, a United Kingdom-based company, for services rendered by it during the Queen's Baton Relay in London on October 29, 2009.

The company is being probed by authorities in the UK for inadequate paperwork related to the payment, for which it had claimed a VAT refund. As a series of media reports raised suspicion about corruption in the deal, Mr Kalmadi had said that the firm had been recommended to it by the Indian High Commission in London.

At a press conference here some days ago, Mr Kalmadi had also produced e-mails from an employee of the mission to substantiate his case.

Today, Mr Kalmadi met External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, who apparently told him that the e-mail produced by him was not genuine and was probably doctored. This is what forced Mr Kalmadi to order the inquiry.

The Indian mission in London had denied that it had recommended the company to the OC and that the e-mail produced by Mr Kalmadi was from a person who was very junior and was not authorised to make such recommendations.

OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot told reporters here that the three-member inquiry committee included Mr Jarnail Singh, OC Chief Executive Officer, Mr G C Chaturvedi, Special Director General- Finance, and Gurjyot Kaur, Chief Vigilance Officer.

He said the committee would look into the payment to AM Films for hire of cars, portable toilets, video cameras, video screens and other facilities as well as the High Commission's contention that the letter sent by its employee was not genuine.

Mr Bhanot, however, said he was not aware of the details of the discussions that Mr Kalmadi had with Mr Krishna.

Mr Bhant said the OC had, in the meanwhile, received a letter from the Sports Ministry advising it to immediately remove two OC officials, Mr T S Darbari and Mr Sanjay Mahindroo on alleged corruption charges. He said Mr Mahindroo had resigned some time ago while Mr Darbari was still working with the OC.

He said the committee would also inquire into the deal between the OC and Sports Marketing and Management, a Melbourne-based firm, which was hired for bringing in sponsorship for the Games.

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File photo of P.T. Usha.

P T Usha, one of the greatest athletes produced by India, will chair the Selection Committee for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Awards for the year 2010.

The 17-member committee will also select the winners of the Dhyanchand Award for Lifetime Achievements in Sports and the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar, an official press release said.

Other members of the committee include Aparna Popat (badminton), M Somaya (hockey), Nisha Millet (swimming), Leander Paes (tennis), Karnam Malleshwari (weightlifting), Limba Ram (archery), Adhiraj Singh (equestrian), Mohammed Habib (football) and Sriram Bhavasar (kabaddi).

The committee also includes Mr Pradip Singh, Commissioner, Disabilities, Government of Delhi, Mr S G Baruah, Director (Sports), Government of Assam, Mr Sayan Chatterjee, Director General, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Mr Injeti Srinivas, Joint Secretary, Sports, Department of Sports, Mr Pravir Krishn, Special Officer, SAI (Special Invitee) and Ms Deepika Kachhal, Director (Sports), Department of Sports, who will be the Member-Secretary.

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is given to an individual sportsperson every year. It consists of a cash amount of Rs 7.5 lakh, a scroll of honour and a medal.

The Arjuna Award consists of a statuette, a scroll of honour, ceremonial dress and a cash award of Rs 5 lakh.

The Dhyanchand Award consists of a plaque , a scroll of honour, ceremonial dress and a cash award of Rs 5 lakh.

The Rastriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar, instituted last year , has four categories: community sports development, promotion of sports academies of excellence, support to elite sportspersons and academies of excellence, support to elite sportspersons and employment to sportspersons. The award carries a trophy and citation.

The Government also announced former hockey star Ashok Kumar will head the Selection Committee for the Dronacharya Award for 2010 to be given to an outstanding coach.

Other members of the committee are Vandana Rao (athletics), Rajendra Prasad (boxing), Mohammed Zulfiqaruddin (football), Anjali Bhagwat (shooting), Manjit Dua (table tennis), Gurcharan Singh (cricket), Ismail Baig (rowing), G E Sreedharan (volleyball) and Cyrus M Poncha (squash).

Officials on the committee included Ms Jhanjha Tripathi, Secretary, Railway Sports Promotion Board, Mr U K S Chauhan, Secretary (Sports), Government of Kerala, Mr Sayan Chatterjee, Director General, Sports Authority of India, Mr Injeti Srinivas, Joint Secretary (Sports), Department of Sports, Mr Pravir Krishn, Special Officer, SAI and Ms Deepika Kachhal, Director (Sports), Department of Sports, who will be the Member-Secretary.

Ordinarily, not more than five Dronacharya Awards are given in a year. The award comprises a plaque, a scroll of honour, ceremonial dress, and cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.

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File photo of the Indian Women's Hockey team.

Former Olympian M K Kaushik today resigned as the national women's hockey coach, a day after a member of the team levelled allegations of sexual harassment against him, but he insisted that he was innocent and that the charges were aimed at tarnishing his image.

Kaushik, who appeared before a four-member committee appointed by Hockey India (HI) to go into the complaint by Ranjitha Devi, told mediapersons later that he was confident he would be cleared of all charges.

But he said he did not want to continue as the coach and had handed in his papers. "I feel uncomfortable. I won't be able to give my hundred per cent," he said.

The allegations against Kaushik came on the day when, in a separate and unrelated development, an anonymous person sent to HI pictures of team videographer Basava Raja in allegedly compromising positions with women said to be sex workers. The pictures and video clips were apparently taken during the team's recent trip to China, sources said.

HI promptly suspended the video analyst, an employee of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) under suspension.

Kaushik cited the case of Basava Raja and said he took moral responsibility for the actions of one of his staff members.

The Olympian has been coach of the women's team for more than a decade and was behind its vastly improved performance in recent times. His contract would have expired in November this year.

The commitee set up by HI to probe the allegations consists of former India captains Zafar Iqbal and Ajit Pal Singh, Sudarshan Pathak and Rajeev Mehta. Apart from Kaushik, they also met Ranjitha Devi today. The player, however, did not speak to the media. Her complaint has been signed by 31 other players, too.

File photo of M. K. Kaushik.

HI Secretary General Narendra Batra told journalists the committee would submit its report on Friday. He said the HI had kept the Government as well as the SAI in the loop in the matter.

He said the allegations were shocking and serious and HI would take strong action if they were found to be true.

He said the HI would submit the report along with its recommendations to SAI for necessary action.

The women's hockey team is due to leave in two days for the Asia Cup tournament in Korea.

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Tickets for the venues of the Commonwealth Games, to be held here from October 3-14, will have special foils to enable people to travel by the Delhi Metro system.

This means that visitors to the venues will not have to purchase separate tokens for travelling by the Metro trains.

A spokesman for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said the Games tickets, which would be date, venue and event-specific, would have two detachable foils for up and down journey by the Metro.

These foils will have the same unique serial numbers, which will be mentioned on the games ticket and will be valid for that venue and date only, he said.

The manual gates at the stations will be used for the entry and exit of the commuters holding these Games tickets. Guards and volunteers from DMRC will verify the foils by perforating them and will collect them from the commuters at the exit station.

In addition to the common ticketing facility, the DMRC will also bring out a special Commonwealth Games booklet to provide all the necessary information to the commuters during the games. It will not only carry information about the various Metro corridors and stations, but will also have details about the various tourist and shopping attractions of the city along with their Metro connectivity.

The booklet will also have information about the city’s hotels, railway stations, emergency numbers and so on.

According to the spokesman, the Metro will provide connectivity to 10 out of the 11 Games venues: the Games Village, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi University, Thyagaraj Complex, Siri Fort Sports Complex, National Stadium, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Talkotora Indoor Stadium, Yamuna Sports Complex and R K Tennis Complex.

The 125-km Metro, which carries 1.1 million commuters, will grow to 190 km and 2 million commuters when the entire network becomes operational by September this year ahead of the Games.

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File photo of the Indian Women's Hockey team.

Indian women's hockey was today caught in a major scandal after a member of the team has sent a written complaint about sexual harassment by national coach M K Kaushik.

In a separate and unrelated development, an anonymous person has sent to Hockey India (HI) pictures of team videographer Basava Raja in allegedly compromising situations. The photographs were apparently taken during the team's recent trip to China, sources said.

HI has set up committee to probe the allegations against the coach. The committee includes former India captains Zafar Iqbal and Ajit Pal Singh, Sudarshan Pathak and Rajeev Mehta.

The identity of the woman player, who made the allegations, has not been disclosed, but she has been requested to appear before the committee at its meeting today, the sources said.

HI Secretary General Narendra Batra told journalists that HI had kept the Government as well as the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in the loop in the matter.

File photo of M. K. Kaushik.

He said the allegations were shocking and serious and HI would take strong action if they were found to be true.

Coach Kaushik denied the allegations and said he would face the committee and put the truth before it. "The truth will prevail," he told television channels.

The women's hockey team is due to leave in two days for the Asia Cup and the World Cup tournaments. Kaushik said he had withdrawn from the team till his name is cleared. Kaushik has been with the team for more than a decade and such allegations have never cropped up before.

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Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports M S Gill has sanctioned an ex-gratia assistance of Rs 70,000 from the National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons to Padma Chorol who has been chosen for an Ice Hockey Leadership Camp for Women in Finland.

Chorol is a student of the Moravian Mission School in Leh. She has been selected to attend the camp that is being organised by the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Sports Institute of Finland at Vierumaki.

While the Institute will bear her cost of lodging and boarding as well as local travel and training, the Ministry's assistance will help meet the cost of her air travel to Finland, visa fees and insurance, an official press release added.

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File photo of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Saina Nehwal.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today congratulated badminton ace Saina Nehwal on her triumph in the Indonesian Open at Jakarta, her third major international title in a row in as many weeks.

In a message to the Hyderabad-based shuttler, Dr Singh said she had shown spirit, determination and skill in winning the title.

He also said Saina had done the country proud and was a role model for the youth.

Saina, ranked number three in the world and the defending champion and top seed in the tournament, prevailed 21-19, 13-21, 21-11 over unseeded Sayaka Sato of Japan to win the event after a 45-minute see-saw battle.

She had earlier won the Indian Open Grand Prix Gold in Chennai and then the Singapore Open Super Series last week.

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today congratulated the Indian cricket team for winning the Asia Cup.

In a message before his departure for Toronto to attend the G20 Summit there on June 26-27, Dr Singh said the Indian players had displayed team spirit and fighting qualities in bringing laurels to the country.

India defeated defending champions Sri Lanka by 81 runs in a rather one-sided final of the tournament at Dambulla in the island-nation yesterday. In the process, the country broke a 15-year-old jinx in the Asia Cup, having last won the tournament at Sharjah in 1995.

Batting first, India put up 268 for six and then bowled out the hosts for 187 in 44.4 overs.

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The Union Cabinet today approved declaration of a holiday for offices of the Central Government, including Central Public Sector Undertakings, located in Delhi/New Delhi on October 14 this year when the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games will be held.

An official press release said the decision would facilitate the movement of traffic and ensure greater participation of the public in the closing ceremony of the Games, that will be hosted by Delhi from October 3-14.

The opening ceremony of the Games will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday, October 3 and the closing ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 14 at the same venue, the release added.

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File photo of President Pratibha Patil presenting the Padma Vibhushan to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on May 05, 2008.

Indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar will be conferred with the honorary rank of Group Captain of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in recognition of his glorious achievements as a cricketer and sports icon par excellence.

The Armed Forces have a provision to grant honorary rank to eminent personalities to acknowledge their contributon towards the nation.

The IAF had mooted the proposal to confer the honorary rank on Tendulkar, which the President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has accepted it.

Besides the recognition, Tendular's association will motivate the younger generation to join the Air Force to serve the country, the IAF feels.

Accepting the honour, Tendulkar described it as a great honour. "As an Indian, I am very proud to be associated with this dynamic force and I shall do my very best to be a brand ambassador for the IAF," he said.

Expressing his eagerness to interact with the air warriors, he said, “I am looking forward to familiarizing myself with the Indian Air Force. I once again salute the Indian Air Force for this great honour bestowed on me”.

Till date 21 persons have been granted honorary ranks from Flight Lieutenant to Air Marshal. The last person to be conferred the honorary rank of Air Commodore was industrialist Vijaypat Singhania on October 8, 1990.

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Harish Sharma, General Secretary, Basketball Federation of India (left) & Dr. Shanker Adawal, President Corporate Affairs, Reliance Industries signing an agreement between BFI and IMG-Reliance.

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has joined hands with IMG Reliance, a joint venture between IMG Worldwide and Reliance Industries, to develop basketball in India, from the grassroots to the professional level.

A press release from IMG Reliance said the initiative would significantly impact the competitive level of the spot ad enhance the pool of talent in the country.

As part of the agreement, BFI has granted IMG Reliance commercial rights relating to basketball in India, including sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, merchandising, film, video and data, intellectual property, franchising and new league rights.

"The pinnacle of the agreement is expected to be the development of a professional basketball league in India in which players from around the globe will compete alongside Indian players, similar to the CBL in China," the release said.

It said an important element of the new initiative owuld be the development of world class infrastructure in India to support the effort, including the construction of new arenas and training facilities.

The release said that, in line with its focus on developing the game at the grassroots level, IMG Reliance would advise the BFI regarding the organization and management of school and college leagues throughout the country. This will create a platform to develop and augment the talent pool of young men and women, enhance their opportunities to compete internationally, and successfully represent India on the world stage.

IMG Worldwide and Reliance Industries had, earlier this year, created a joint venture in India, IMG Reliance Pvt. Ltd., to focus on unlocking the sporting potential, and create and operate major sporting and entertainment assets in the country. The association with BFI is IMG Reliance’s first significant initiative in this direction, the release said.

IMG Reliance also plans to establish sporting academies in India, modeled on the world renowned IMG Academies at Bradenton, Florida, to provide athlete and coach training in the country.

BFI is the governing and controlling body of basketball in India, “It is an important development in the history of basketball in the country. This is a giant step towards our stated vision of making basketball a much-watched and popular sport in the country. We are confident that IMG Reliance will play a significant part in realizing this vision with a comprehensive program, involving development of a loyal fan base, as well as development of talent at an early stage. We are working towards kicking off the leagues at the onset of the sporting calendar in the country,” Mr. Harish Sharma, General Secretary, BFI, said.

Mr Andrew Wildblood of IMG Reliance said the organisation would work to take basketball in India to the next level.

"IMG Reliance will leverage IMG’s unparalleled experience of developing sporting leagues and talent development to make basketball in India a commercially exciting sporting proposition with a large fan base. The convergence of sport and entertainment has been successfully demonstrated over the past several years in India. We strongly believe there is room for multiple commercially successful professional sports in India. We further believe that basketball has all the necessary ingredients to take a significant share of the growing professional sports market in the country and to have great appeal for the Indian consumer," he added.

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Lalit Modi

Suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman Lalit Modi today submitted his response to the first show cause notice served to him by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for alleged financial and other irregularities in the conduct of the high-profile T-20 tournament.

Mr Modi's reply, running into some 12,000 pages, including copies of documents, was delivered at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on his behalf by his lawyer Mohammad Abdi. Mr Modi himself was said to be in Europe.

Mr Abdi told waiting journalists that the reply addressed all the allegations made by the BCCI against Mr Modi, including five primary charges. He said the reply was prepared by a team of senior lawyers.

According to him, the reply would leave the BCCI with no other option but to withdraw all the charges against him and reinstate him immediately.

BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty received the papers on behalf of the Board. He said copies of the documents would now be made available to the concerned people in the Board.

The BCCI had levelled a total of 22 charges against Mr Modi. The primary charges included one that he received kickbacks of $ 80 million for the renegotiated television rights fo the league and another that he had undisclosed stakes in three of the IPL teams.

Mr Abdi said the BCCI had erred in suspending Mr Modi on the basis of hearsay and oral complaints with no evidence to back the charges.

"We are 1000 per cent confident that the Board will be satisfied with our reply and that Mr Modi will be reinstated," he said.

Mr Abdi said the reply included the minutes of all the meetings of the IPL Governing Council since 2007.

The BCCI had suspended Mr Modi on the night of April 25, minutes after the final of the IPL T-20 tournament ended and served him with a 34-page chargeshet.

The current controversy surrounding IPL and the BCCI started on April 11, when Mr Modi had tweeted details of the shareholding in Rendezvous Sports World, which had led the consortium that won the franchise for the IPL Kochi team recently. The tweets said one of those who had got "sweat equity" from Rendezvous was Ms Sunanda Pushkar, who is a close friend of then Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor.

Dr Tharoor could not shake off the allegations that he had somehow misused his position to get Ms Pushkar free equity, and that she was acting as a proxy for him. Dr Tharoor had always maintained that he had acted a mentor for the team and had no financial involvement with it in any way. The Opposition mounted an offensive in Parliament, and Dr Tharoor had to ultimately resign from office.

But the controversy had only begun, with the focus then shifting to Mr Modi, the investments in IPL teams by his relatives and the contracts awarded to various firms. Even as the clamour for his removal grew on the one side, several of the team owners came out in his support and saying that he should be given a chance to answer all the charges against him.

In the meantime, the controversy led to nationwide search operations by the Income Tax Department, the Enforcement Directorate and other agencies at the offices of some of the teams as well as other companies.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel also found themselves embroiled in the controversy.

Questions have also been raised about Mr Srinivasan who apart from being the Secretary of the BCCI, is also the Managing Director and vice-chairman of India Cements, which owns one of the teams, Chennai Super Kings, which incidentally won the finals against the Mumbai Indians this year.

On May 21, the BCCI sent Mr Modi another show cause notice about the allegations that he tried to provoke English counties to revolt against the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and join a new T-20 league.

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The public sector Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) has received an order from the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games-2010 Delhi for manufacturing around 1400 sports medals of different varieties.

An official press release said the medals are to be awarded to winners of different sports events during the Games that Delhi is slatd to host in October this year.

According to the releas, India Government Mints (units of SPMCIL) have an impeccable and glorious distinction of minting coins and medallions. IGMs also manufacture medals like Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and so on.

In the past, they have been associated with major sports events such as the IXth Asian Games in Delhi in 1982, the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune in 2008 and the Military World Games.

The release said SPMCIL would also be appointed as the Official Ticket Printing agency of the Commonwealth Games.

These tickets, with enhanced security features, would be printed at India Security Press (ISP), Nashik Road. The press had printed the admission tickets for Asian Games 1982, Delhi.

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File photo of Vishwanathan Anand.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today congratulated Vishwanathan Anand on his triumph at the World Chess Championship and described him as the "grandest of Grand Masters."

"I am delighted to salute you at your 4th world class Chess Championship triumph within a decade," Dr Singh said in his message.

"I understand that your championship game in Sofia was played under the most difficult circumstances but you proved once again that you remain the grandest of Grand Masters. You have made the country proud and I join millions of admirers of the game of chess in celebrating your magnificent triumph," Dr Singh added.

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